Ski boot

ABSTRACT

A ski boot is provided which comprises a rigid upper shell, a rigid lower shell, an inner and an outer pivot means for pivotal movement of the upper shell with respect to the lower shell, the inner pivot means locating nearer to the boot toe than the outer pivot means, and means for slightly adjusting the position of at least one of the inner and outer pivot means substantially along horizontal plane.

United States Patent [191 Mochizuki I 11 3,793,747 [451 Feb. 26; 1974 [5 SK] BOOT [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: Hope Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo,

Japan 22 Filed: Apr. 23, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 353,732

Yoshinari Mochizuki, Tokyo, Japan 52 U.S. Cl. 36/2.5 AL 51 Int. Cl..... A43b 00/00 [58] Field of Search 36/2.5 R, 2.5 AL, 2.5 AC

[ 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,698,]06 l0/l972 Rieker 36/2.5 AL

4/l973 Mochizuki 36/2.5 AL 5/1973 Marker 36/2.5 AL

Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson Attorney, Agent, or FirmEliot S. Gerber [5 7] ABSTRACT A ski boot is provided which comprises a rigid upper shell, a rigid lower shell, an inner and an outer pivot means for pivotal movement of the upper shell with respect to the lower shell, the inner pivot means locating nearer to the boot toe than the outer pivot means, and means for slightly adjusting the position of at least one of the inner and outer pivot means substantially along horizontal plane.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a ski boot having a rigid lower shell enclosing major portions of a foot and a rigid upper shell in the form of an ankle cuff pivotally movable with respectto the lower shell.

An applicant of the present invention has filed a patent application in the United States under Ser. No. 161,212 for a ski boot of the'type mentioned above in which the upper shell is movable to a forwardly outwardly inclined position relative to the boot sole, the movement of which corresponds to an anatomically natural movement of a leg about an ankle. Such a ski boot has an advantage that skier can control his skies with ease. That is, when the skier wearing such boot bends his legs forwardly about his ankles, both of his knees are forcedly separated from each other. Such forced separation of the knees makes easy the edging operation of the ski, since the inside edge of the ski becomes effective only by touching one of his knees to the other knee.

After a great deal of testings on the ski boot described above, the inventor has newly found that the anatomically natural inclination movements of the leg about the ankle have a slight difference among persons. That is, there are persons whose legs are curved inwardly or outwardly'more than normal person. For these abnormal persons, the ski boot, in which the upper shell is made to incline forwardly and outwardly along the anatomical natural movement of the normal person, is not well adapted.

The inventor has further found that skilled skiers change their degree of edging in accordance with a kind of slalom races and that it is desired to provide a ski boot which can change the degree of edging by same knee action.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a ski boot which can satisfactorily fit to any person who has a slight difference of anatomical natural movement of legs about ankles.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a ski boot which can change the degree of edging of ski by some knee action.

According to the present invention, a ski boot is provided which comprises a rigid lower shell enclosing major portions of a foot, a rigid upper shell in the form of an ankle cuff, an inner and an outer pivot means for pivotal movement of the upper shell with respect to the lower shell, the inner pivot means locating nearer to the boot toe than the outer pivot means, and means for slightly adjusting the position of at least one of the inner and outer pivot means substantially along horizontal plane.

Preferably, the adjusting member comprises a support for the inner and outer pivot means,.the support being located inside of the lower shell.

The support may be an angled member having an inner side plate, outer side plate and a bottom plate connecting the both side plates. The bottom plate is rotatably and adjustably connected to sole of the boot.

The aforementioned and other objects and features of the present invention will be more clearly apparent from the detailed description thereof, which is to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ski boot according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the ski boot is separated into three parts;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of same boot as shown in FIG. 1, which shows a manner of connection of an upper shell to a lower shell; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of same ski boot as shown in FIG. 1 in which the three parts are assembled.

Referring to Figures, a ski boot comprises main three parts, i.e., a lower shelll enclosing major portions of a foot, an upper shell 2 in the form of an ankle cuff, and an inner boot 3 contained in the shells. Both of the shells 1 and 2 are made of rigid materials such as hard plastics or light alloy. The inner boot 3 is made of soft elastic materials.

' The lower shell 1 has inner and outer bulge portions 4, 4 expanding externally at both rear side portions 1 thereof. The inner bulge portion 4 locates slightly nearer to the boot toe than the outer bulge portion 4. The both bulge portions 4 and 4 are directed somewhat outwardly with respect to a longitudinal center line of the boot sole. The bulge portions 4, 4' are large and wide enough to allow an angled support member referred hereinafter in detail to partially rotate therein.

The upper shell 2 is divided into two shell pieces 2',

' 2" at a portion adjacent the vertical front center line thereof, the both of the shell pieces 2', 2 being connected with each other by a hinge 5 so that they may open from each other. The upper shell 2 has inner and outer circular protrusions 6, 6' inwardly projecting at rear lower end portions of the shell pieces 2', 2", respectively. Provided at rear end portions of the shell pieces 2, 2" are clamping members 7, 7' by which the both shell pieces 2', 2" are fastened to each other.

The inner boot 3, which fits to a wearers foot, is made so thick that the wearer does not feel pain in skiing by the rigidity of the shells l and 2. The inner boot 3 has an elastic member 8 which allows the leg in the inner boot to be bent forwardly about the ankle. The elastic member 8 is exposed outside of theupper and lower shells 2 and l at a front portion therebetween. The inner boot 3 has also clamping members 9 at the rear upper portion thereof which tightly fasten the wearers leg in the innerboot 3.

Between the upper surface of the lower shell 1 and the front surface of the upper shell 2 is provided a forward inclination adjusting means 10 for which US. Patent has been issued to the present applicant under No. 3,713,231 and, therefore, the description thereabout is omitted herein.

The angled support member 11 provided in the bulge portions 4, 4 in the lower shell 1 comprises an inner side plate 11 an outer side plate 11" and a bottom plate 11", these plates being integral with each other. The angled support member ll is rotatably connected to a boot sole 12 by a circular metal member 13 passing through a smaller hole (not shown) in the bottom plate 11' and connected to the boot sole 12 by screws. The inner and outer side plates 11 and 11" have circular holes 14 and 14', respectively, at upper portions thereof, which project upwardly beyong the bulge por' tions 4, 4 of the lower shell 1. The height of the circular holes 14 and 14 substantially corresponds to that of person s ankle placed in the lower shell. In the circular holes 14 and 14 snugly fitted are the circular pro- 3 trusions 6 and 6', respectively, so that the upper shell can be forwardly inclined about the protrusions 6 and 6. Provided through the heel portion of the boot are adjusting screws 15 and 15', the rear ends of which are exposed to the outside of the boot and the inner ends of which are connected with blocks 16 and 16' which contact to the rear end of the bottom plate 11" of the angled support member 11. The adjusting screws 15 and 15' are so separated from each other that, by operating the both screws, that is, by extending the one screw and retracting the other screw, the angled support member 11 is rotated about the circular metal member 13.

When a skier wants to use the ski boot according to the present invention, firstly he puts his foot into the inner boot 3, which is fastened by the clamping members 9. The inner boot is then put inside of the lower shell 1 which is separated from the upper shell 2 except the connection due to the forward inclination adjusting means 10. Such separated structure of the shells l and 2 facilitates the insertion of the inner boot 3 into the lower shell 1. After inserting the inner boot 3 in the lower shell 1, the circular protrusions 6 and 6 on the upper shell 2 are fitted in the circular holes 14 and 14' of the angled support member 1 1. The pieces 2' and 2" of the upper shell are fastened to each other by the clamping members 7 and 7'. Then, the screw rods 15 and 15' are operated to rotate the angled support member 11 in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction along a horizontal plane about the circular metal member 13, so that the positions of the protrusions 6 and 6, which correspond to inner and outer pivots of the upper shell 2, can be adjusted so as to be correctly aligned with wearers ankle axis. That is, the inner pivot of the upper shell 2 locates nearer to the toe than the outer pivot, the inner and outer pivots allowing the upper shell to incline forwardly outwardly relative to the boot sole along with anatomical natural movement of wearers leg.

' Thus, according to the present invention, it is very easy and certain to obtain a delicate adjustment of the pivotal-position so that the present boot can satisfactorily fit to any person who has a slight difference of anatomical natural movement of legs about ankles and that a skilled skier can change the pivotal position to obtain desired degree of edging in skiing.

Though the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various modifications and alterations can be made within the'spirit of the present invention. For instance, bolts may be provided at the bulge portions 4 and 4' so that the bolts contacts to the side plates 11' and 11" of the angled support member 11 at right angles thereto through elongaged openings provided at the bulge portions. In this embodiment, the bolts are fixed at a desirable positions of the openings by means of a nut, or the openings may have some recesses along its lengthwise direction to secure the bolts at a predetermined favorable recess.

In another modification, there may be provided an adjusting means which comprises a first toothed plate attached to the underside of the bottom plate 11" of the angled support member, a second toothed plate rotatably embedded in the boot sole and having teeth engaged with the first toothed plate and a screw means for rotating the second toothed plate from the underside of the boot sole. In this example, the. pivotal position of the upper shell can be adjusted from the underside of the sole.

In another modification, the upper shell 2 may be directly pivoted to the lower shell 1 and an adjusting means for at least one of the pivotal positions may be provided.

What is claimed is:

1. A ski boot comprising a rigid lower shell enclosing major portions of a foot, a rigid upper shell in the form of an ankle cuff, an inner and an outerpivot means for pivotal movement of said upper shell with respect to said lower shell, said inner pivot means locating nearer to the boot toe than said outer pivot means, and means for slightly adjusting the position of at least one of said inner and outer pivot means substantially along a horizontal plane.

2. A ski boot as claimed in claim 1, wherein said adjusting means comprises a support for said inner and outer 'pivot means, said support being located inside of said lowershell.

3. A ski boot as claimed in claim 2, wherein said support is an angled member having an inner side plate, outer side plate and a bottom plate connecting the both side plates, said bottom plate being rotatably and adjustably connected to sole of said boot.

4. A ski boot as claimed in claim 2, wherein said lower shell has bulge portionsexpanding externally at rear portion thereof, said support being located inside of said bulge portions.

5. A ski boot as claimed in claim 3, wherein said adjusting means further comprises at least one adjusting screw means exposed to outside of the rear end of said boot and extending to said bottom plate of said angled member.

6. A ski boot as claimed in claim 3, wherein said adjusting means further comprises an adjusting screw means exposed to bottom surface of said sole and pivotably connecting said angled member to said sole of said boot.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE QERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No. 3,793,747 Dated February 26, 1974 9 Invent0r(s) YOSHINARI MOCHIZUKI It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

- "I Q r.

In the Heading, beneath [2l]Appl. No. 353, 732" insert:

s Foreign Application Priority Data May 9, 1972 Japan q 47/45735 Signed and Sealed this g first Day of June 1976 {SEAL} Arrest:

Q v RUTH c. msou V c. MARSHALL DANN 17 Commissioner uj'Parerm and Trademarks 

1. A ski boot comprising a rigid lower shell enclosing major portions of a foot, a rigid upper shell in the form of an ankle cuff, an inner and an outer pivot means for pivotal movement of said upper shell with respect to said lower shell, said inner pivot means locating nearer to the boot toe than said outer pivot means, and means for slightly adjusting the position of at least one of said inner and outer pivot means substantially along a horizontal plane.
 2. A ski boot as claimed in claim 1, wherein said adjusting means comprises a support for said inner and outer pivot meaNs, said support being located inside of said lower shell.
 3. A ski boot as claimed in claim 2, wherein said support is an angled member having an inner side plate, outer side plate and a bottom plate connecting the both side plates, said bottom plate being rotatably and adjustably connected to sole of said boot.
 4. A ski boot as claimed in claim 2, wherein said lower shell has bulge portions expanding externally at rear portion thereof, said support being located inside of said bulge portions.
 5. A ski boot as claimed in claim 3, wherein said adjusting means further comprises at least one adjusting screw means exposed to outside of the rear end of said boot and extending to said bottom plate of said angled member.
 6. A ski boot as claimed in claim 3, wherein said adjusting means further comprises an adjusting screw means exposed to bottom surface of said sole and pivotably connecting said angled member to said sole of said boot. 